This sumptuous and informative book provides a detailed exploration of Degas’ life and the times in which he lived, as well as featuring a gallery of 300 of his best-known and most loved works, including oil paintings, sketches, drawings, pastels, monoprints and sculptures. The first section provides a narrative to Degas’ life, the influences that shaped his work, the themes that fascinated him and the development of his style. The second section contains the iconic images of ballet dancers, bathers, cafes, cafe-concerts and scenes of horse-racing for which Degas is famed: subjects that depicted the lifestyles of the haute bourgeoisie as well as working-class Parisians.